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Chinese exchange teacher By DAWN SLADE Leo Gong, 25, of China, was expecting an extended vacation to the United States, but what heís experienced since coming here is so much more. Gong, whose Chinese name is Gong Yao Dong, goes by Leo to make it easier for Americans. He came to the states last August as part of an exchange program through Hang Zhou Foreign Language School in Hang Zhou, China and the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning. Over the past 18 years, the program has had 35 Chinese teachers come to America, while 95 American teachers have gone to China. Gong graduated from Shanghai International Studies University and majored in journalism. He has been teaching 8th and 9th grade English at the Hang Zhou school for the past two years. Welcome to Minnesota John and Deb Van Otten are Gongís host family. "I thank all my host families. I enjoy their children so much," Gong said. And though he says they have given him plenty of activities to do since heís been here, Gong has yet to go snowmobiling or ice fishing - both of which heís looking forward to trying. But, he did get the opportunity to tag along on a deer hunting excursion in Braham. And he even tried venison, though he added, "I would not eat too much." Gong says he enjoys walking on the ice on the Rum River and seeing nature. Coming from a city with three million people, Gong says, "Life is quiet and very enjoyable here." In the classroom Since arriving in Minnesota, Gong has worked at schools in Pine City, Braham and Ogilvie. And when he leaves Milaca Public Schools in February, heíll be going to Mora, Cambridge and Princeton. Though heís obviously not teaching English here, he appreciates learning more about American culture and the English language to enhance his English teaching skills. So far, Gong has visited 150 classrooms with students from pre-school to high school. And they have been asking him all sorts of questions. When he asked a group of youngsters, "Do you know where China is?" one replied, "China is in Florida." Another student was quick to say, "No. Chinaís in WalMart." Gong got a chuckle out of the tiny totsí replies, but admitted the WalMart answer was somewhat realistic saying, "Itís true - there are a lot of commodities from China in the stores." Gong pointed out that over half of this yearís Christmas items sold in the U.S. were made in China, with two-thirds of those being made in a town near his home city. And Gong has been taken by surprise with some of the questions from the older students, in particular political questions about China. "They impressed me a lot. They are very curious, active and have good questions that reflect their knowledge," Gong said of Milacaís high school students. But itís been a bit difficult answering some questions, as people assume he knows everything there is to know about China. Heís had to brush up on such things as politics, Tai Chi, and Chinese calligraphy before entering classrooms. "I always feel very good in the classroom," Gong said. Gong says students in China have a much more serious discipline and are more reserved, but he points out that the American students are very curious and yet show a great amount of respect. "This school, in particular, everyone is very, very friendly," Gong added. Class sizes are quite a bit larger in China. Gongís class has 56 students, some of which heís still watching out for while heís here. "One of my students is still on the internet and itís 5:30 a.m. there," Gong said. Teachers in China have a slightly different role than their American counterparts, in that they are more responsible for the students in their class and the studentís school life. Itís similar to a home/room, but if something happens to the student in another teacherís classroom, theyíre still responsible for that student. Milaca elementary students had the chance to watch a video Gong brought from China which shows a kindergarten class in his home country. "I think itís important for young people to open their mind and see the world," Gong said. At a recent Milaca School Board meeting, Gong spoke to the board members, superintendent and other school staff members about his home country and the exchange program. Gong said schools in China do not have formal school boards. And he praised the board saying, "This meeting is going really efficiently." Gong presented the board with a gift for the school - a framed cutout of a sheep which represents 2003, the year of the sheep. "Itís good to know how American education is organized and how kids with disabilities are well taken care of here," he added. Before he leaves The Chinese New Year is being celebrated on Friday, Jan. 31 this year. It is the countryís largest celebration. The Chinese go by both our western calendar and the countryís traditional lunar calendar, which puts the Chinese New Year at the end of the month this year. And a party is being planned in his honor. On Thursday, Jan. 30 the Give Me Five Mentoring Program is hosting a Chinese New Year party at MHS. Needless to say, he is quite excited about the party. Like Milacaís Japanese exchange student, Remi Schibata, Gong wishes he had his driverís license so he could venture out more easily. Heís even been reading a driverís manual in hopes of getting a temporary permit. Gong plans to stay in the states a month after his teaching duties are finished so he can explore other cities and states, like Boston, Washington DC, New York City, and possibly Seattle and Hawaii. Camping near Duluth and the North Shore is also on his list of adventures, as he wants to go camping and canoeing - neither of which heís ever done before. "Every day is new here," Gong said. "This has been a very interesting experience for me and I feel proud of what I am doing here." The exchange program benefits both the students and the teachers at the school, and apparently the exchange teacher as well. "Iíve gained much more than what I expected," Gong added. Gong says he wasnít expecting to be a cultural missionary, but an ambassador for China he seems to have become.
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